Web Hosting comparison · 2026
Cloudways vs WP Engine (2026 Comparison)
Side-by-side: pricing, features, pros, cons, and our editorial winner for web hosting.
Winner summary
WP Engine wins overall
Scoring 9.1/10 vs 9/10 in our 2026 review.
Cheaper
Cloudways
Higher rated
Tie
Better free tier
Tie
Feature comparison
| Dimension | Cloudways | WP Engine |
|---|---|---|
| ProductsVerdict score | 9/10 | 9.1/10 |
| User rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Starting price | $11/mo | $24/mo |
| Free trial | 3-day free trial | 60-day money-back |
| Best for | Developers & agencies | Enterprise WordPress |
| Badge | — | — |
Cloudways key features
- DO/Vultr/Linode/AWS/GCP
- 1-click vertical scaling
- Free SSL & auto-healing
- Built-in cache stack
- 24/7 chat
WP Engine key features
- Global Edge Cache
- Genesis framework included
- Dev/staging/prod environments
- Smart Plugin Manager
- 24/7 chat support
Cloudways — pros & cons
Pros
- True pay-as-you-go
- Easy vertical scaling
- Strong DO Premium / Vultr HF performance
Cons
- Steeper learning curve
- Email is paid add-on
WP Engine — pros & cons
Pros
- Mature dev tooling
- Strong security posture
- Reliable uptime
Cons
- Visit overage fees
- No email hosting
When to pick which
Choose Cloudways if…
- Scalable WordPress
- Custom PHP apps
- Agency multi-site
Choose WP Engine if…
- Enterprise WordPress
- Agency client portfolios